Janus court case threatens our freedom

This September, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will consider a case, Janus v AFSCME that will likely have a profound impact on union members, especially those working in the public sector.

Janus takes aim at the ability of working people to join together in strong unions to speak up for themselves, their families and their communities. The case is the culmination of decades of attacks on working families by wealthy special interest groups and the politicians who do their bidding to rig the economy in their favor. They want to weaken unions because unions have played a central role in defending the freedoms we cherish to build and protect the middle class.

HOW WILL JANUS AFFECT US?

No one knows exactly how the Court will rule on Janus, but experts believe there is a strong likelihood that Janus will eliminate the freedom of union members to negotiate union security clauses in the public sector. If this occurs, members would be able to abandon their membership, but continue to receive all of the benefits of representation without having to pay for it. Unions would lose resources, contracts would become weaker, and the membership would become divided. The so-called “Freedom Foundation” has already started contacting union members in Washington State, encouraging them to abandon their unions. Learn more about the Freedom Foundation’s anti-worker agenda.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO DEFEND OURSELVES?

The best way for us as members of Teamsters Local 117 to prepare for an adverse Janus ruling is to stand together with our co-workers and reaffirm our commitment to each other. We have a plan to win and be even stronger, with members leading the way. Many members across our union who work in the public sector have already signed cards committing to stick together with their co-workers no matter how the Court rules. Our union is incredibly resilient. We have faced many challenges in the past, and we’ve proven that when we stand together, we can improve our lives and our communities. We are confident we will prevail this time as well.